Setting for precious stones



r T. MOUN TFORD. SETTING FOR PRECIOUS STONES- APPLICATION FILED MAR-T91 I919.

Patented July 26, 1921.

f ATTORNEY 12v VENTOYR UNITED}, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"THOMAS MoUN'T'ronn, or NEWARK, new JERSEY.

sn'rrms non PRECIOUS s'roivns.

Application filed March 19, 1919. ,serial No. 283,672.

T 0 all w ho'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MOUNTFORD, a subject of the King of Great Britain,.residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Settings for Precious Stones, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to settings for precious stones, and particularly to ring-settings. In one style of setting it is common to braze thc'bottom ends of the prongs or clamps by which the jewel is held to the plane upper surface of a bezel, which may be mounted on a ring. In such a construction there is considerable difliculty-in centering the setting on the bezel, particularly when the bezel has a hexagonal or other polygonal outline, and it is necessary to 10- cate the lower ends of the prongs or clamps of the setting accurately at the apices of the angles. In such prior practice it is usual to fasten the clamps temporarily to the bezel by wires, when the clamps have been cen-' tered as accurately as may be on the bezel, to hold the same in proper position while the brazing is accomplished. Considerable skill and expenditure of time are required for this operation, however, and even with the wiring there is danger of the clamps slipping slightly out of position before the brazing is accomplished. When the clamps are out of proper position the result is either a spoiled job or one that must be corrected by filing, etc.

These difficulties are overcome by my improved construction, in which the upper face of the bezel is provided with a plurality of recesses or shallow grooves which are properly located, and in which.the lower ends of the clamps are set. In the case of a bezel having a polygonal outline, the grooves preferably are formed exactly at the apices of the angles and extend radially across the upper surface of the bezel. With this construction it is only necessary to insert the lower ends of the clamps into the grooves, whereupon the setting will be accurately centered and may readily be held in position while the lower ends of the clamps are brazed to the bezel. By the use of my device the clamps may be secured to the bezel with uniform accuracy by comparatively unskilled labor and in much less time than is now required for the operation.

In order that my invention may be more Specification of Iietters Patent. Patented July 26, 1921.

clearly understood, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating one embodiment of my invention. In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the setting proper; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bezel; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same shown partly in vertical section; and Fig. 41- is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation showing the setting mounted in position on the bezel.

Referring to the drawings the setting is composed of a plurality of metal prongs or clamps, as the same are termed, these being represented by the reference characters 1, 1.

The clamps are secured together in the deing the same together. I have illustrated the v clamps as being spaced apart so that their ends will mark the apices of a hexagon with the clamps slanting outwardly from their bottom to their upper ends. It is, of course, obvious, however, that the clamps may be spaced in any other suitable manner and be of a greater or less number than six.

The bezel 3 is represented as a hexagonal body having rather narrow walls as is common. Recesses 4: are formed at the apices of the angles of the bezel, these recesses preferably taking the form of shallow grooves which extend radially across the u per surface of the bezel. The lower en s of the clamps 1 are adapted to fit within these grooves, and the clamps 1 are so spaced that their lower ends will be in alinement with and fit within the grooves 4: when the clamps are positioned on the bezel. The centering of the setting is thus accomplished instantaneously, the outer surfaces of the clamps when thus positioned being in alinement with the outer surfaces of the bezel at the corners thereof. The clamps and bezel may then be secured together in the usual manner by a brazing operation, and a jewel secured within the setting in the usual way by bending over the clamps. It will be obvious that my invention may be used with bezels of various shapes.

What I claim is 1. In a setting for precious stones, the combination of a bezel having a polygonal shape and recesses in its upper edge, situated at the apices of the angles, and a plurality of clamps secured together'in 'spaced relation such that their lower ends will fit within said recesses, said lower ends being fitted within said recesses.

2. In a setting for precious stones, the combination of a bezel having a polygonal shape and shallow grooves extending radially across its upper edge at the apices of the angles, and a plurality of clamps secured together in spaced relation such that their lower ends will fit within said grooves, 10 

